AEW's Buddy Matthews has elaborated on his recent physical encounter with Rhea Ripley, which the latter spoke about in a recent interview.
The Australian star made a name for himself through his eight-year tenure in the Triple H-led promotion. Following his release from the promotion in 2021, Matthews wrestled in the independent scene before joining AEW in 2022, allying himself with Brody King and former WWE colleague Malakai Black.
The House of Black member is currently engaged to Rhea Ripley, who is dominating the women's division of RAW as the Women's World Champion. The Eradicator is scheduled to defend her title against Becky Lynch in a blockbuster clash at WrestleMania XL.
In a recent interview with Logan Paul, Rhea Ripley shared an anecdote of tiring out Buddy to power out of a submission move he put her in. The former AEW World Trios Champion took to X/Twitter to furnish more details on the matter.
"For the record: Yes, I put @RheaRipley_WWE in a triangle choke, slowly increased the pressure and asked her to tap... she didn't! I felt like my leg was about to snap due to applying to much pressure and gassed out... haven't lived it down! #truth," wrote Matthews.
Rhea Ripley on how AEW star Buddy Matthews feels about her WWE success
Despite his in-ring mastery, Buddy Matthews could not break out as a top singles star in WWE. Meanwhile, Rhea Ripley has been on an unstoppable roll as the Women's World Champion.
During a conversation on IMPAULSIVE, The Nightmare discussed her fiance's feelings regarding her success in the Stamford-based promotion. Ripley revealed that Matthews is supportive of her accomplishments.
"He loves it. It doesn't make him feel a negative way. He's happy for me and also knows how far I can go in this company and how far his limitations are as well. Like, obviously it is a male-dominated sport. There is only so many females in it, so if you show that you are different and connect with the crowd in a certain way, you are obviously going to skyrocket to the top," she said. [11:27 - 11:57]
She would also add that the former Cruiserweight Champion supposedly recognized that the platform WWE provided her operated at a higher level and had no issues with that.
Buddy Matthews recently suffered an upset loss alongside Brody King against The Infantry on Collision, failing to advance in the Tag Team Title Tournament.